How to BurnWorld Guide: How To Upgrade to Windows 10

With the impending release of Microsoft Windows 10, PC enthusiasts are already researching all the advantages of an upgrade to Windows 10 and planning ahead for the exciting event. Anyone who has a version 7, 8 or 8.1 of Windows already installed will be able to get a Windows 10 upgrade for free once the new operating system will be released. Obviously, most Windows users are more than willing to make the switch in these circumstances, especially since the features of the new OS seem to be quite promising. Reports from various tech hubs are stating that this option to update OS for Windows may just lead to the best configuration yet. If you’re considering getting the Windows update yourself, our guide on How to Upgrade to Windows 10 will show you what you need to do step by step.

How to Upgrade to Windows 10

Step 1. Make sure your current version is eligible for the Windows update

As we mentioned above, the eligible versions of updatable operating systems are Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. If, by any chance, you don’t know what OS version you have installed now, you can quickly go to the official Microsoft support page that can figure it out for you. Next, also make sure that you have access to an administrative account of your computer. If the IT team at your work place manages your computer, you may not able to make the upgrade yourself.

Step 2. Back up your files

Avoid losing any data when you upgrade to Windows 10 by transferring it to an external memory device before. Theoretically, it works if you just put all the data on another partition of your main hard drive, other than the main one (partition C), which will host the OS. But it’s better to be safe than sorry and transfer the really important files to an external hard drive as well.

Step 3. Start the Windows upgrade

The process of upgrading will simply be one of installing all the updates needed for your computer to start running on the new version of Windows. Therefore, you need to check if your computer is currently allowed to download updates (and if not, to enable it). This is how to do it for each Windows version you currently have installed:

On Windows 7, you need to go to Start à Control Panel à System and Security à Windows update;

After reaching this point, no matter what version of Windows you’re currently running on, your computer should inform you of what updates are available and ask you for permission to install them. Don’t forget to also hit the ‘Check for Updates’ button every time your computer seems to be finished, in order to install some more. After a few rounds, it should be done.

Then, after everything is up to date, you should be given a Windows 10 prompt (a pop-up on your task bar or desktop, asking you if you want to upgrade). Wait for it, it will come surely. Then, all you have to do is follow the directions on the screen (like entering your email address and so on), in order for Microsoft to update OS to Windows 10 on your computer.

For advanced PC users only:

There is also a way to manually download and install the Windows 10 update directly from Microsoft’s website, if you’re in a hurry and don’t want to wait for the update offer to pop up. But we should warn you that this method is quite complicated and therefore not for the average computer user. If you’re experienced and feel confident enough to pull this off by yourself, then you can go to Microsoft’s download page for Windows 10 and follow the instructions there. Don’t forget to also back up your important data first.